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“READERS FORUM” MARCH 7, 2019

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We hope that today’s “READERS FORUM” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

WHAT”S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is: How would your rate Vice President Mike Pence performance so far?

Please go to our link of our media partner Channel 44 News located in the upper right-hand corner of the City-County Observer so you can get the up-to-date news, weather, and sports. We are pleased to provide obituaries from several area funeral homes at no costs.  Over the next several weeks we shall be adding additional obituaries from other local funeral homes.  Please scroll down the paper and you shall see a listing of them.

.If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com

FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.”READERS FORUM” 

Indiana’s Burgeoning Hemp Industry Could Expand If New Rules Become Law

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Indiana’s Burgeoning Hemp Industry Could Expand If New Rules Become Law

April 7, 2019 

By Erica Irish
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — The House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday that could widen opportunities for hemp farming in Indiana.

The expansion is made possible by Senate Bill 516, authored by Republican Sens. Randy Head of Logansport, Blake Doriot of Syracuse and Chip Perfect of Lawrenceburg. Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, sponsored it in the House.

Overall, SB 516 will create a hemp regulatory commission to work with the Indiana seed commissioner in approving licenses for farmers who wish to grow and profit from hemp. The crop is part of the cannabis family but lacks the high-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana plants.

Purdue University, until now, was one of the only groups granted permission to grow hemp in Indiana. But changes introduced through the federal Farm Bill of 2018 have widened the field, permitting private farmers to work with the plant by removing it from the national list of controlled substances. Marijuana remains a controlled substance.

SB 516 did change in the final committee hearing after the members approved an amendment that tweaked several provisions around field inspections, among other fixes.

Under the amendment, growers who violate hemp regulations will face a civil penalty instead of the misdemeanor charge originally listed in SB 516. In this case, violators would lose their license and pay up to a $10,000 fine. The amendment will also allow law enforcement to inspect future hemp fields with aerial drones, prohibit local officials from regulating hemp production and more.

“This is a fluid process,” said Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond. “We’ve got a starting point here that will allow the crop to get in the ground.”

FOOTNOTE: Erica Irish is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

Dr. Rochon Invested As USI President, Speaks On Gratitude And On Collaboration

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Click here for a full web gallery of images from the Inauguration Ceremony

In his inaugural address as president of the University of Southern Indiana, Ronald S. Rochon charged the students in attendance with one very specific task: find someone who is different from them and get to know them.

“I want better for our children. I want better for your children,” said Rochon. “In order for us to do that, we have to come together. We have to break bread, we have to listen to stories and share love with one another.”

In his remarks, Rochon expressed deep gratitude to family members, mentors and to the legacy and influence of the leaders who have contributed to the establishment of USI and its growth over the past 54 years. In reflection upon his place as the first African American to hold the position of president at USI, Rochon drew upon the history of the Evansville area as a stopover on the Underground Railroad to express how people of different races and upbringings can come together and fight to not only better their own lives, but the lives of future generations.

“It’s not about me. It’s about men, woman and children who came before us; who had this vision to develop a community that would embrace one another, that would uplift one another, that would do something amazingly special to serve other people.”

Rochon’s address followed his official investiture as president of the University. Leading the investiture was Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcombe, accompanied by W. Harold Calloway, chair of the USI Board of Trustees; H. Ray Hoops, USI president emeritus; and Linda L. M. Bennett, USI president emerita.

Screaming Eagles Arena

“Your service to USI has already had such a tremendous impact and positive influence on this University,” said Holcombe in remarks preceding the investiture. “We are relying on USI to address our workforce and education needs of the future, so we can continue to all together take our state to the next level. I have no doubt – zero – that under Dr. Rochon’s leadership, USI will do just that.”

The inauguration ceremony was held in the newly-opened Screaming Eagles Arena in front of hundreds of University dignitaries, alumni class representatives, local faith and legal leaders, representatives of USI’s student organizations and thousands of USI students, faculty, staff and community members in attendance to support Rochon and celebrate the University. In addition to Holcombe, Rochon was congratulated by Evansville mayor Lloyd Winnecke and personal mentors Muriel A. Howard, president emerita of Buffalo State College, and Maj. Gen (R) Barrye L. Price.

Tuskeegee University and USI Choirs

Mixed with remarks from the platform party were rousing performances from two award-winning choirs, the Tuskeegee University Golden Voices, representing Rochon’s undergraduate alma mater, and the USI Chamber Choir. The two groups musically punctuated Rochon’s charge to students by combining for a performance of Glenn Burleigh’s “Order My Steps” that brought the entire crowd to its feet in rousing ovation.

“When we talk about issues of diversity and collaboration,” remarked Rochon, “these students? They’re showing us how it’s done.”

COMMENTARY: HOME AND HOPE

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HOME AND HOPE
by Bill HAZELIP-EVANSVILLE
A very interesting article in the Evansville Courier on 4-4-2019.  The article was titled Homes & Hope, and it primarily dealt with the poor economic situation we have here in our city.  The article covered the work that was being done by a Christian nonprofit Community One group.  The article covered the housing situation in Evansville and the poverty factor that has led to almost half of the homes built before 1951 are in need of major repairs.
In the report, 43% of Vanderburgh County residents live below the Federal Poverty Level and less than the cost of living in Indiana.  That means almost half of our community cannot afford life’s basic needs such as housing, child care, food, health care, and transportation. The article told about the great work that this group is doing and  “Christian Community One”  deserves all of the support we can give them!
“And now the rest of the story,”  Paul Harvey, for many years appeared on Radio telling stories like the one above, but he always told the story of how we got into this situation in the first place, as Mr. Harvey would say,  “and now the rest of the story!”   The word is simple “Exodus” (the movement of people, places and things)  For some reason, all of the great Journalists and Reporters have never touched the reason for Evansville’s exodus.  Yes, they would report that Swift and Weil packing companies were leaving town or that International Harvester, Whirlpool, Bucyrus Erie, Iglehart, Servel, and a hundred more were leaving. They even mentioned that we were once known as “The furniture capital of the world,”  “Refrigerator Capital of the world,”  or we were the city that made the most significant contribution of World War 2.   The fact that we don’t talk about our past industry failures is why we now have the poverty level that we all now disdain!
What happened to the city that was supposed to have close to a half-million people, at the turn of the century?  A city that now has a service type of economy,  and low salaries for the few young ones to remain here?  No one wants to ask the question “what happened?
” Perhaps 70 years of “City Hall”  failures are too big of a story to write about!
FOOTNOTE: The City-County Observer posted this article with opinion, bias or editing.

Senator Braun’s Weekly Update: March 31 – April 5

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SENATOR BRAUN’S WEEKLY UPDATE

March 31 – April 5

With March’s Jobs Report showing the longest streak of consecutive American jobs growth on record due to President Trump’s pro-business tax cuts and regulatory agenda, this week Senator Braun continued the fight to bring Hoosiers another big win: lowering prescription drug prices. 

Senator Braun joined Bloomberg Markets: Balance of Power with David Westin to discuss the status of his plan to lower prescription drug costs through transparency and the state of the battle over healthcare in Washington. 

Senator Braun joined Abigail Robertson of CBN News to discuss the GOP’s path to repealing and replacing Obamacare, as well as how to get the healthcare industry onboard through price transparency to avoid government-run insurance for all.

Fox 55 WFFT in Fort Wayne investigated how the pharmaceutical industry in Indiana is responding to Senator Braun’s prescription drug price plan in a story on Wednesday.

WLKY Louisville‘s Mark Vanderhoff caught up with Senator Braun at Meyer Distributing in his hometown of Jasper to discuss what taking on the insurance industry in his business taught him about taking on healthcare in Congress.

“Braun said he has told medical industry officials they could end up with a universal Medicare program favored by many Democrats if they don’t improve pricing and transparency.

‘I tell ’em all the time: Get with it. We shouldn’t need to be legislating you into better performance. Start fixing some of this stuff yourself or you’re going to be in business with one partner – the federal government,’ he said.

By way of example, Braun noted that a prescription for a certain drug costs $10 at one provider in his hometown of Jasper and $34.50 at another.

‘There is nothing like that throughout the rest of our economy where there is that much difference for the same thing,’ he said.”

Full story by Brian Francisco

Senator Braun joined the Pat Miller program with guest host Marlin Stutzman on WOWO Fort Wayne to discuss the fight for healthcare reform in Washington.

For live updates, follow Senator Braun on Facebook and Twitter. 

BILL GAITHER AND THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND ARE COMING TO VICTORY THEAT

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Gaither continues to be delighted by audiences’ response to the concerts, now more than 40 years after he quit his day job as a teacher: “I’ve always said it all starts with a great song, and we are fortunate that each concert includes great songs that have stood the test of time. With all the musical choices that are available now, there is still a special place for the joy and optimism that reside in Gospel music. Good news never gets old.”

Named ASCAP’s Songwriters of the Century, Bill and Gloria Gaither have written more than 700 popular gospel songs throughout their multi-decade career, including favorite standards “He Touched Me,” Because He Lives,” and “There’s Just Something About That Name.” Since 1992, when Gaither began recording the celebrated Homecoming series of DVDs and CDs, most every volume has gone gold or platinum with sales totaling approximately 100 million volumes. The programs appear regularly on television networks around the world.

This event with the Gaither Vocal Band at the Victory Theatre in Evansville, IN, begins at 7:00pm and will celebrate timeless themes of faith, unity and eternal hope through a variety of music the whole family will enjoy. Complete information, including ticket pricing and group ticket information, is available by visiting www.victorytheatre.comwww.gaither.com or www.premierproductions.com.

USDA Census of Agriculture

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The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the 2017 Census of Agriculture results on Thursday, April 11, at noon ET. The full Census report will include millions of data points, including number of farms, land in farms, total value of production, demographics, and more at the national, state, and county levels.

The report, along with a number of related publications, video presentations, and searchable data query interfaces, will be available on the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov. Available now in preparation for data release are three videos featuring NASS subject matter experts explaining the importance of the Census, what’s new in this Census, and how to find Census data.

“We are excited to share the new Census of Agriculture data next week,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “The Census data will help inform decisions about ag education, research, farm programs, rural development, and much more over the next several years. Conducting the Census is part of USDA’s commitment to you.”

This Census report will include new information on military service, food marketing practices, and on-farm decision-making. These additions help better capture the roles and contributions of beginning farmers, women farmers, and others involved in running a farm enterprise. Data from this census as well as previous ones are easily searchable on the new online Census Data Query Tool. To address questions about the 2017 Census of Agriculture data, NASS will host a live Twitter (@usda_nass) Ask the Census Experts Stat Chat on Friday, April 12, at 1:00pm ET.

At the same time that the 2017 Census of Agriculture data is released for the 50 states, NASS is collecting Census data in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The agency is also in the last few weeks of data collection for two Census of Agriculture Special Studies – the 2018 Census of Aquaculture and the 2018 Irrigation and Water Management Survey. These and other products, such as state, county, and congressional district profiles, will be released throughout the year.

The first Census of Agriculture was conducted in 1840 in conjunction with the decennial Census. After 1920, it was conducted every four to five years. By 1982, it was regularly conducted once every five years as it still is today, mailed to every known farm and ranch in the United States.

NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

Raising awareness, providing support & ending abuse by Wendy McNamara

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Indiana has the second-highest child abuse rate in the nation. It’s clear more must be done to raise awareness, provide support to families and end abuse. Preventing child abuse begins with a strong, healthy family and supportive community that is dedicated to the well-being of the child.

 

Prevent Child Abuse Indiana is an organization offering resources to help those suffering and working to prevent abuse. They encourage locals to constantly work together to address this issue by raising awareness, educating the public, and strengthening family and community relationships.

 

To learn more about how to stand by children and advocate for their health and safety, click here.

 

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, by law you must alert the authorities by calling Indiana’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556.

Wisconsin drops support of Indiana’s abortion law

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Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com

Wisconsin has withdrawn its support of Indiana’s petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Hoosier law that places more restrictions on a woman’s right to obtain an abortion.

In a letter sent to the court March 15, the Badger State respectfully withdrew its support for the amicus curiae brief filed for Box v. Planned Parenthood, 18-483. Wisconsin had been the counsel of record on the brief that was signed by 17 other states and the governor of Mississippi in support of Indiana.

Indiana’s writ of certiorari, filed Oct. 12, 2018, asking the Supreme Court to uphold the law requires fetal remains be either cremated or buried and prohibits the termination of a pregnancy because of the fetus’ sex, race or genetic abnormality. The law was struck down by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Former Wisconsin Attorney General, Brad Schimel, a Republican, had filed the brief Nov. 15, 2018, according to the letter. However, the newly elected attorney general, Josh Kaul, a Democrat who took office Jan. 7, 2019, reversed course.

The letter filed by Kaul’s office, said the amicus brief “no longer represents the legal position of the State of Wisconsin.”

In a subsequent letter, the state of West Virginia informed the court it has agreed to substitute as counsel of record in support of the amicus brief.

Since the beginning of 2019, Indiana’s petition has been distributed to the justices for conference nine times. The petition has not been relisted since it was last distributed for the March 29 conference.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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 Evansville, IN – Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.

Tavis Corbin Anderson: Operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator (Level 6 Felony), Possession of marijuana (Class A misdemeanor)

Tiffany D. Contant: Auto theft (Level 6 Felony), Auto theft (Level 6 Felony), Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of paraphernalia (Class C misdemeanor)

Page A. Wilson: Strangulation (Level 6 Felony), Possession of marijuana (Class B misdemeanor)

Paris Rena Winstead: Intimidation (Level 6 Felony)

Coy Shermann Bateman: Operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator (Level 6 Felony)

Matthew Robert Bailey: Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony), Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony)

Juanita R. Garcia: Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony), Resisting law enforcement (Class A misdemeanor), Battery (Class B misdemeanor)

Aveyon M. Emery: Carrying a handgun without a license (Level 5 Felony), Unlawful possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer (Class A misdemeanor), Carrying a handgun without a license (Class A misdemeanor), Possession of marijuana (Class A misdemeanor)

Takeia Ranise Baker: Intimidation (Level 6 Felony)

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